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Whistling Straits to be Site of 07 US Senior Open

FAR HILLS, N.J. ' Whistling Straits Country Club in Kohler, Wis., has been selected by the United States Golf Association as the site of the 2007 U.S. Senior Open Championship. The championship is scheduled from July 5-8.

Designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1998, the Straits Course at Whistling Straits is a links-style course located along two and half miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, north of Milwaukee. Using land that was previously an Army base, the design employs wide fescue fairways and sand dune bunkers to compliment the windy conditions that are prevalent. All four par-3 holes and four more holes are adjacent to Lake Michigan and play from just above beach level to 80-foot bluffs.

We at Kohler are excited to host this major championship, said Herbert V. Kohler Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Kohler Co. The worlds most seasoned veterans of the game will be tested by a course that honors the origins and early character of golf. Theres nothing in championship play this side of the Atlantic like Whistling Straits.

The site of the 2004 PGA Championship, Whistling Straits has also played host to the 1999 PGA Club Professionals Championship. It will be hosting its first USGA Championship. Its sister venue, Blackwolf Run, hosted the 1998 U.S. Womens Open.

The Senior Open is open to any professional or amateur, 50 or older who has a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4. Among the notable winners are Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Hale Irwin. Bruce Lietzke won the 2003 Championship.

Prior to 2007, the U.S. Senior Open will be played at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from July 29-Aug. 1; at NCR Country Club in Dayton, Ohio, from July 28-31, 2005; and at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., from July 6-9, 2006.

Luiten (wrist) withdraws from WGC Match Play

Joost Luiten was one of the last men to qualify for this week's WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, but he's the first one out of the tournament after withdrawing because of a wrist injury.

Luiten, who won the European Tour's Oman Open in February, posted on Instagram about his withdrawal and also wrote a lengthy explanation in Dutch on his website.

"Very disappointed to say that I have to withdraw from the WGC Dell Match Play because of a wrist injury," Luiten wrote. "Gutted because I love playing match play! I will be back strong."

Luiten explained that the injury is on his left wrist, which was previously operated on in 2010. The exact cause is unknown, but he started to experience pain while at home in the Netherlands the week before the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Luiten went on to play in Mexico City, finishing T-37, and he tied for ninth the following week at the Hero Indian Open. But his wrist pain continued to increase, and when it didn't respond to treatment over the weekend he decided to withdraw.

Luiten will now be replaced in the field by world No. 72 Julian Suri. Bill Haas is now first alternate, while Brandt Snedeker is second alternate.

Golf Channel will air a live selection show from 7:30 to 9 p.m. ET Monday to determine the four-player pods in Austin, with round-robin matches beginning Wednesday.

Rory inside OWGR top 10; Tiger near top 100

Rory McIlroy is back inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking after rallying to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

McIlroy shot a final-round 64 at Bay Hill to race past Henrik Stenson and Bryson DeChambeau for a three-shot victory, his first on the PGA Tour in nearly 18 months. As a result, he jumped six spots to No. 7 in the latest rankings, his highest position since October.

DeChambeau finished alone in second place, jumping 34 spots to No. 61 in the world. Justin Rose remained No. 5 after finishing third, while Henrik Stenson moved up one spot to No. 14 after finishing fourth.

Tiger Woods finished T-5, his third top-12 result in as many starts. As a result he's up another 44 spots to No. 105, his best ranking since April 2015. Woods, who started the year ranked No. 656, was 388th before a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship.

The top 50 in next week's world rankings will qualify for the upcoming Masters, meaning there are 13 players currently in the field for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play who could sew up an invite to Augusta National with a strong finish in Austin, including No. 47 Chez Reavie and No. 50 Cam Smith.

Dustin Johnson remains world No. 1 for another week, followed by Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Rose. Hideki Matsuyama remains at No. 6, with McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia rounding out the top 10.

Denied relief, Reed jokes: 'Guess my name needs to be Spieth'

A rules controversy broke out during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational involving a player dressed in red and black, but it had nothing to do with Tiger Woods.

Patrick Reed was playing in the group in front of Woods for the second straight Sunday, and he became embroiled in a situation after launching his approach into an area of trees behind the 11th green. As captured by a fan video, Reed got into a lengthy discussion with an on-site rules official before being told that he would not receive the free relief he was requesting.

"I guess my name needs to be Jordan Spieth, guys," Reed said, drawing laughs from a few gallery members.

Spieth and Reed have a successful history together as Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup partners. But last summer Spieth was at the center of the biggest rules decision of the year, when he dropped on the driving range during the final round of The Open after taking an unplayable lie from an errant drive.

After taking a penalty drop, Reed ended up making double bogey on No. 11 en route to a 1-under 71. He finished the week in a tie for seventh at 8 under.